CA1293378C

CA1293378C - Toy-vehicle with electrical drive-motor

Info

Publication number: CA1293378C
Application number: CA000555942A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Kurt Hesse
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-01-07
Filing date: 1988-01-06
Publication date: 1991-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 2008-12-24
Also published as: EP0277312A1; WO1988004946A1; DE3700226A1; AU1057288A

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE:

A toy-vehicle with an electrical drive-motor which makes contact, through rubbing contacts secured to the vehicle-chassis, with current conductors developed in the roadway or between the rail-tracks. For the purpose of improving the contact, the rubbing contacts are in the form of: bundles of carbon-fibres, the fibres thereof being compressed within sleeves beyond which they project in the direction of the current-conductors, the said bundles of carbon-fibres being secured to the vehicle-chassis.

Description

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The present invention relates to a toy-vehicle with an electrical drive-motor which makes contact, through rubbing contacts secured to the vehicle-chassis, with current-conductors developed in the roadway or between the rail-tracks.
In the case of toy-vehicles adapted to move on roadways or rail-tracks, it is known to tap the current-conductors by means of rubbing contacts secured to the vehicle-chassis. The rubbing contacts used are strips of spring-metal projecting obliquely away or strips of wire-fabric adapted to bend resiliently. One disadvantage of known rubbing contacts is that they promote the accumulation of dust particles between themselves and the current-conductors and this frequently results in contacting lS difficulties.
It is the purpose of the invention to improve the contacting of toy-vehicle rubbing contacts.
To this end, according to the invention, the rubbing contacts are in the form of bundles of carbon fibres, the fibres of which are compressed in sleeves, part of the length of the said fibres projecting in the direction of the current-conductors, and the bundles of carbon-fibres being located in the vehicle-chassis.
The end-faces of the rubbing contacts thus formed 25~ bear upon the current-conductors, for example conductor-rails. When the vehicle is in operation, a small amount of bending takes place with a spring-back effect of the carbon-fibres. A plurality of fibres-edges thus travels along the current-conductors producing not only a reliable permanent contact but also self-cleaning of the contacting surfaces between the carbon-fibres and the current conductors. The improvement in contacting also improves -the operative behaviour, allowing the toy-vehicle to run uniformly and quietly.

~933'~1 According to one preferred configuration, the bundles of carbon-fibres are secured replaceably, by means of holding sleeves, in openings in the vehicle-chassis.
The holding sleeves may be secured in the openings postively, non-positively or frictionally and may comprise connecting springs for electrical conductors.
The holding sleeves may be of any desired design, e.g. they may be in the form of sections of tube or of bent flat strip. In the case of the latter, the connecting springs are attainable through cut-outs.
For the purpose of improving contact between individual carbon-fibres and between the fibres and the holding sleeves, each carbon-fibre may preferably carry an external coating of electrically conductive material~ ~ The coating may be "flour", for example or a metallic material, more particularly a metal-vapour coating. Copper is suggested as a suitable metal.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a toy-vehicle with an electrical drive-motor which ZO makes contact, through rubbing contacts secured in the vehicle chassis, with current conductors developed in the roadway or between rail-tracks, wherein:
~ - the~rubbing contacts are in the form of spring clips,~ while the current-conductors are in the form of carbon-fibres standing upright against each other in a longitudlnal groove and projecting at the top slightly beyond~the roadway or the ties of the rail-tracks.
Preferred embodiments will be described hereinaEter as examples without llmitative manner, having reerence the~attached drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a view of a toy-vehicle from below;
; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a part of a toy-vehicle;
Fig. 3 is a cross-section through a bundle of ::: :: :
:: :
:

1~333'7~3 carbon-fibres;
Fig. 4 is a plan view of a bundle of fibres;
Fig. 5 shows another design of a bundle of fibres;
Fig. 6 shows a piece of carbon-fibre in cross-section to a greatly enlarged scale; and Fig. 7 shows a part of a toy vehicle with a current-conductor of another design.
In the case of toy-vehicle 1, 1' is the chassis which is carried, in a manner known per se, by wheels 2 and which accommodates an electrical drive-motor with a transmission arrangement (not shown) and a body 3. The chassis accommodates, in openings 4, rubbing contacts which are held immovably by friction and are in the form of bundles 5 of individual carbon-fibres 5'. As shown in Fig.

3, these fibres are compressed within a metal sleeve 6 beyond which they project in the direction of current-conductors 7. Metal sleeve 6 may be of rectangular (Fig. 4) or circular (Fig. 5) cross-sectional shape. The metal sleeve is formed by a flat strip placed around the bundled ~ carbon-fibres. At the end remote from current-conductor 7, it comprises a projection for a connecting spring 8 for electrical conductors 9. In order to increase electrical conductivity and improve contacting, carbon-fibres 5' are provided with a vapour-deposited or galvanically applied coating 10 of an electrically conductive metal, e.g. copper.
Other suitable elements, such as "flour", may also be used as coating materials.
As a variant, the toy-vehicle according to Fig. 7 has a rubbing contact in the form of a spring-clip ll which makes~contac~ with carbon-fibres 5' arranged side by side in grooves 12 in the roadway.

; - 3 -~: :

Claims

1. A toy-vehicle with an electrical drive-motor which makes contact, through rubbing contacts secured to the vehicle-chassis, with current conductors developed in the roadway or between the rail-tracks, wherein:
- the rubbing contacts are in the form of bundles of carbon fibres, the fibres of which are compressed in sleeves, part of the length of the said fibres projecting in the direction of the current conductors, and said bundles of carbon-fibres being located in the vehicle-chassis.

2. A toy-vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the bundles of carbon-fibres are secured replaceably, by means of holding sleeves, in openings in the vehicle-chassis.

3. A toy-vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein holding sleeves are secured in openings positively, non-positively or frictionally.

4. A toy-vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the holding sleeves are made of a metallic material and comprise connecting springs for electrical conductors.

5. A toy-vehicle according to claim 1, wherein individual carbon-fibres carry a coating made of an electrically conductive material.

6. A toy-vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the coating is in the form of a metal-vapour coating.

7. A toy-vehicle with an electrical drive-motor which makes contact, through rubbing contacts secured in the vehicle chassis, with current conductors developed in the roadway or between rail-tracks, wherein:
- the rubbing contacts are in the form of spring clips, while the current-conductors are in the form of carbon-fibres standing upright against each other in a longitudinal groove and projecting at the top slightly beyond the roadway or the ties of the rail-tracks.